Melt
by Amber Masquerade
Summary: AU. He was the lonely boy at the orphanage, beaten and bruised until everyone decided there was no hope for him, until she teaches him how to love again.
1. Can she help him realize?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater.**

**Please read this before starting the story:**

**As promised, I let people vote for this story and this won. But, this note is here for a different reason. I've decided to dedicate this story to a teacher from my school. He's a wonderful, fun, and great person, who teaches French. Everyone loves him, including me, even though I never truly got to know him well. Now, he is suffering from a horrible nervous system disease called ALS, which stole his ability to use both his legs. He came to school in a wheelchair, reassuring his students that he was fine for the time being, but he'd have to stop teaching. But what he didn't tell us is that people diagnosed with ALS only have about 3 to 5 years to live, until the disease wreaks havoc in the body and finally causes the respiratory system to fail. I'm dedicating this story to him because I want everyone to know that I support him even until he takes his last breath, and my only regret is that I didn't get to know him better.**

**So, with that said, this story is dedicated to the dear Mr. Coleman, who still smiles despite his situation and always put his best into teaching his valuable students. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher, my prayers and hopes go out to you.**

* * *

When he was a child, he had gotten so accustomed to the constant pain that he no longer was able to feel any. A blow to his stomach was numb. A kick to his ribcage did nothing to faze him. A small tumble and a skinned knee wasn't worth crying about. So when Maka had struck him across the cheek, tears streaking down her face, he had felt absolutely nothing except for the slightest pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Then, she dashed down the hall as fast as she could and ran out of sight. And he was left there, feeling the place where the palm of her hand had connected with his face, running his fingers where pain was supposed to be but was somehow absent. Maybe he didn't think about it hard enough, and that's why he didn't sense it.

He didn't blame her for being angry at him; he, after all, was the true jerk. She was only trying to help. It was one of their infamous simple arguments, but this time just happened to be different. They had been standing in the middle to the hallway just after dismissal, running their usual conversation. Their usual exchange would be quite simple, usually concluding with her chastising him about his lacking work ethics and how he was way to lazy and how he wouldn't know anything if he didn't try to learn. But he felt different today, like something small that had been nagging at him was now thrashing in its cage, like an animal trying desperately to escape its prison, except his only animals were his own emotions. He couldn't take it this time. So he snapped, his words unintentionally slipping off his tongue, the wrong kind of words. The kind of words that were too insulting to even utter under your breath.

She stood there in shock at first, and then her eyes welled up with tears. That's when the guilt started. Then she whacked him, and she didn't hold back, and he didn't try to stop it; he knew he deserved it. He watched as she darted around the corner farther away from him, and forced his legs to move after her.

He knew where she'd gone - upstairs to the roof, her favorite place to stay when things were troubled. It's only been four weeks since they met, but he knew her pretty well.

He continued to wander at his slow pace and follow the trail of her sorrow. But he wanted to run after her, to tell her that he was sincerely sorry even though those words had not come out of his mouth for years. He knew that forcing his will on hers would only make it worse than it already was. He trudged up the stairs quietly, with a heavy heart, and stopped at the very top, where the door to the roof was slightly ajar. Leaning his ear close to the crack, he could hear her all the way at the edge - her usual place to sit - choking out small little sobs and attempting to stop them after each hiccup. It was cold outside; Soul could tell just by listening to the winter breeze sail by.

He knew from experience that a broken heart could not be mended very easily and was a thousand times more hurtful than a strike to the face, but tread carefully out towards her anyways. She was cradling her knees to her chest, sitting on the concrete side dangerously close to the edge. Panic arose. He wanted to tell her that she might fall to her death. And that he would never be able to stand the loss of his only friend. He wanted apologize to her over and over again just to say that he cared about her. But he knew that it was never that simple.

Her body tensed up at the feeling of his presence standing behind her. She sniffled and rubbed the tears out of her eyes before turning around to face him angrily. "Just go away, Soul. Leave me alone." Her eyes and nose were red and puffy from not only crying, but the freezing gust that hit her exposed skin like shards of ice.

"I...I hope you're not planning of actually jumping," he said slowly. His own nonchalance only made him angrier.

She jerked back around and went back to hugging her knees.

"That's not...what I meant." Soul's voice lowered into a low grumble. "I came here to...apologize."

"Huh?" She asked.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." he finally choked out. "I was kind of a jerk back there."

Maka turned once more and quirked her eyebrow at him. "'Kind of?'"

"Okay, fine. I was a grade-A jackass. So I'm sorry." He reached into his bag and pulled out the tiny box he had been saving. "Apology tissue box?" He asked, holding it out to her.

She glanced at the box, then at him, then back at the box. "Accepted," she said sullenly, taking some tissues from it and dabbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he repeated again, just to make sure.

"You better be."

"Don't rub it in."

She paused in the surrounding frozen air. "Though...I hope I didn't hit you to hard..."

"Nah," he shrugged, taking a seat next to her and dangling his legs off the side of the building. "I've received harder slaps in my past than that one." Soul felt a shiver crawl up his spine and he hugged his jacket tighter. Maka still refused to look him in the eyes.

"If I had just known what you went through...I never would've laid a finger on you..." she said sadly, her face still flushed red from the blistering cold.

"I already said it's fine. Now...maybe we should take this conversation inside before one of us slips and falls off this 50-foot building," he deadpanned.

"Oh. You're right." Maka scooted backwards away from the edge and got up, patting her skirt down. Soul could see that her legs, as well as her nose and cheeks, were deep red from suffering in the cold.

"Let's hurry. You might get sick from all this." They rushed inside together and quickly shut the door. As soon as they got inside, Soul noticed that she was still shivering, and took off his own jacket.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he wrapped it around her shoulders tenderly.

"You don't want to get sick, don't you?"

* * *

_It had been a simple assignment, forced on them by their eccentric science teacher; find some sort of topic to research, then somehow make a project out of it; an impossible task assigned to an unsuspecting boy and girl. They had never even noticed each other before - Maka Albarn, perky and innocently naive new girl in town, plucked from her usual cityscape, and mysterious and sullen boy Soul Eater, who was notorious in his small town as the one who would never talk to anyone nor look at them, who never bothered to attend school activities and would instead sulk back to his house, who was rumored as spawn of the devil since he had glaring red eyes and pointed teeth that were probably used to hunt down and devour small animals during his nightly hunt, and who hid his face under the shadow of his black hoodie._

_She had to be the lucky one, being paired up with him at random. Everyone thought so. They wouldn't dare go within a 10-feet radius of him, and suspected that she wasn't too willing to do so either. Her soul would make a nice snack to keep him satisfied, they teased. Not that they knew that he was completely human, and that he didn't believe that people had souls anyways and he knew this as a fact, especially after what he had experienced at the orphanage..._

* * *

Sometimes, he didn't know what hell he was doing. Like when he promised he'd despise the girl who was assigned the same project with him, but ended up giving her his jacket. It was an accident, he swore. He even ended up convincing her that a walk home would be too long and she was already starting to show symptoms of a fever, so she had to stop for a break at his house and he'd drive her home.

Unlike most, he suspected that she was different from them all. She didn't hesitate to answer or hold back in their conversations, even when he only replied with distant one-worded answers. She would smile when he made a slight mistake and helped him fixed it. Even offered some her of lunch to him when he had forgotten to make his own. She seemed completely concerned when he told her that he was from an orphanage, and that he was living in a small house down the block that was being payed for by his adopted mother. "Why are you living alone?" She had asked during the first week they met.

"My mother thinks it's better if I went to school here, but she couldn't afford to leave her family in the last town," he stated. "She thinks it's a better environment here. So every month or so she has to gather up money and then sends it to me."

She nodded slowly and understandingly. "Is it boring here? Living in a small town like this, where everybody knows everybody and there's nothing that changes?"

"There's nothing much to this small town," he admitted. "It gets boring way to often around here. No one ever changes. They'll always be assholes."

"What about you?" She asked carefully. "Would you ever change?"

"Like hell I would," he snorted and dug his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'd rather shoot myself in the ass than become one of them."

She laughed. It was the first time he'd made anyone laugh.

Soul dunked the teabag around in the cup of steaming hot water until it turned into an amber liquid. He set the cup carefully on the tray and balanced it while he walked out of his kitchen and to the living room where Maka was sitting on the couch, glancing around observantly at his small abode. "You live here?" Her voice was numbed down thanks to her stuffy nose. "It's nice."

"Thanks," he set the coffee mug down with her tea in it and took his own. "You can rest here until you wanna go home. I'll drive."

"Thank you," she graciously accepted her scalding hot tea and blew at the steam at the top of the cup away, whiffing the gentle smell of jasmine. She slipped out a tissue paper from her pocket and blew her bright red nose as Soul took a slow sip from his cup, then sighed with content.

He didn't bother to mention that their project was due in two days. They hadn't even started, too busy being conflicted on what topic it would be about. Besides, Maka wasn't too interested in completing it; she was concentrated more on adjusting to her new life with her Papa. Ever since the divorce and he gained custody over his daughter, he decided that it would be nice to inhale the fresh scent of small town air, clean and pure unlike the clogged up stuffy atmosphere of her concrete jungle filled with countless cars and towering buildings.

* * *

_It was nothing like she expected, walking into her new house for the first time. "Ah, would you look at that, Maka?" Her father wandered around their new living room and looked around. "Isn't it nice?" She remembered how a gray haze covered the town that day, clouds stuffing up the sky so no sunlight could penetrate its blockade. The rain poured down with a vengeance. The wind pounded on their windshield. "Why don't we settle in and check this place out?"_

_When Maka had found her room, the last family's bedroom, and set her luggages down she went out for a short car ride. There wasn't much to see, after all. A small drug store, grocery store, and a library, a post office, and streets with a few houses here and there. Very quiet. "Papa, can I go out on my own and explore for a little while?" she asked and he agreed, only if she went home in time for dinner._

_While her new environment was covered in a gloomy blanket of rain and wind, she braved through it with her rain boots and jacket. She passed darkened windows of stores that had been closed up for the night. The streets were cleared of people, empty and desolate. Or at least she thought so. She continued on with her journey, but suddenly stopped. Squinting, her eyes focused through the rain at a dark figure that seemed to be looming towards her. It came closer, and she saw that it was a person wearing a deep black jacket and blue jeans. He slouched, his face hidden from view by the hood and his hands were stuffed in his pockets at his sides. Maka froze. He walked down the street, this mysterious young man, and didn't bother to look up, as if he knew already of her presence. When his shadow edged closer to hers, he stopped. Maka prepared to defend herself._

_But then, she heard him chuckled. "New girl, huh?" His voice rumbled, and he peeked up slightly as two crimson droopy eyes gazed at her. She drew back, slightly panicked._

_"Um...hello..." her unsteady words escaped her mouth. "Do you know where there's a good place to eat here?" His back straightened and the bottom of his face could be seen under the shadow of his hood. Silently, he turned and pointed across the street to a small shop whose bright neon lights illuminated its patch of street. "Th-thanks," she said, managing a smile. The boy didn't seem to stir, and sunk back down again and continued on. She wondered, why wouldn't he look her in the eyes?_

_Maka decided to follow his strange instructions. That night, they both had take-out for dinner._


	2. Can she be his friend?

He was the boy with open wounds.

He knew this from all those years of staring listlessly at his own image in the mirror of the orphanage bathroom, running his hands - bruised, broken, raw-red from all of the beatings - under the numbing cold of the faucet water, and watching the dark red trickle down his palms and spiral down the drain. It had happened too many times that his night would end like this; when the simple mistakes in his job led to severe punishment, and severe punishments led to violence and humiliation from the other kids who happened to be older than him, and, after washing his hands free of blood, would conclude with him curling up in his own little bed, wishing for a better day tomorrow until his thoughts rocked him to sleep.

He wasn't always like this; he did have a home and a life and parents who cared. Not hopelessly wandering in an orphanage where the caretakers didn't care whether you broke a leg or starved to death and where the older kids push you around just because you were too soft-spoken. His beloved mother and father were only short lived, though, their lives swiftly stolen from them by a driver on the road late at night who just so happened to have a bit too much alcohol for him to handle. And that was when his life spiraled downwards into a never-ending abyss; an event-horizon that was unescapable, where not even the slightest light could be set free.

He wondered how he ended up with this life. How Fate could be so cruel and unforgiving, how it could be so merciless and indiscriminate, and even wondered if Fate was even listening, if Fate had an ear to listen with. There was no say from his as to what he wanted for his future; he had been only 12 when the accident robbed him of mom and dad. Now he was 15, and completely alone.

Scratch that; now he was 15, completely alone, and had open wounds. And he knew, that if wounds were left open that they could get infected. And after getting infected the dirt and grime would fester until it became all-consuming and it was the only thing he could bring his mind to concentrate on.

* * *

"S-Soul...?" Her voice brought him back from the memory. "Are you okay?" He opened his eyes to a blurry image and rubbed the haze away. "You look pale. Are you okay?" Maka asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine," he mumbled, awakening from his sleepy state.

"That's good, because I saw you nodding off to sleep and I thought you were sick or something," she said. "Or...did I slap you a little too hard?"

"I said I'm fine." He answered and turned his attention back on the road, about to turn the key to the engine of his car.

"You know, you shouldn't fall asleep at the wheel," she admonished.

"Yeah, yeah, Maka. I know already."

"It's not good for you - "

"I said I know!" He growled, irritated. She went silent and he bit his lip. "Sorry. I'm just a little tired."

She sighed as Soul pulled out of the driveway. "It's okay," she said timidly. "Besides, the weather is pretty gloomy out today."

* * *

"Attention, class!" The teacher waved her hand to calm down the chattering class. "Attention please!"

He sulked down in his seat all the way in the corner of the room, the black hood of his jacket shielding his sunken red eyes.

"Now, I know everyone's excited about the news." Everyone answered with silence and anticipation. Soul snorted out of boredom. "You can come in now!" She hollered towards the door and the knob turned.

He glanced up from with a sullen gaze. The door swung open slowly, and a sneaker stepped in first, then a girl's head poked through. Two wheat-blonde pig tails hung from the side of her face and swayed back and forth while she walked to the front of the room, her cutely round pale white face wearing a small smile. Her eyes sparkled two shining emeralds with a hint of excitement. She introduced herself with an innocent bow. "Maka Albarn."

The class came alive with whispers and chuckles all around. Soul shut his eyes nonchalantly with his perpetual slouch and crossed arms, unaware that the new girl was approaching the empty seat next to him as the whole class watched. Footsteps approached and he opened his eyes. The girl greeted him with a naive smile, and he stared back. She barely recognized him, but he certainly remembered her face. Unfazed, she took her seat next to him.

It was a week later that their fates intertwined. "Listen up," instructed their teacher. "I know all of you know of the big upcoming science project..." The class groaned. "But I've decided to allow you to choose a partner so none of you will have to work too hard." Maka looked around uneasily. Too much work had made her unable to socialize well enough to blend in. And Soul couldn't care less.

After a few moments of decisions amongst the class, and each had found their partners except for two, the teacher spoke again. "Has everyone found a partner? Good!" She noticed Maka's uneasy glances. "Maka? Have you found one?"

"Um...I don't think there's anyone else to be my partner," she said.

"Then, Soul can be your partner." The class let out a sudden wave of snickers and whispers that made her uncomfortable.

"Soul...?"

"The boy sitting to your left, sweetheart."

She turned her head and faced the boy who only glanced at her with a burning crimson gaze, who seemed to want to have nothing to do with her, and who looked like he would haunt her nightmares. "H...Him?"

Soul gave her an unkind side-glance.

"Yes," the teacher said and urged him to introduce himself. He let out a low rumble of a groan, not willing to speak at all. Maka wondered why. "Well, then..." she said as if she were forgiving him for not saying anything. "Your new partner's name is Soul Evans. Soul, please be nice to her."

The bell rung.

"Okay, class, now that you know what you need to know, please make sure that you get it done withint he next two weeks!" Soul stood up abrupty and strode out the room with his hand in his pocket and his gaze facing downwards while Maka was gathering her books.

"H-hey!" She ran out of the classroom after him. "My name is Maka," she said, trotting by his side with a pile of books in her hands, but he didn't acknowledge her at all. "Excuse me!" She tried to get his attention to his annoyance, but he only shrugged her off and tried to lose her in the crowd. Feeling slightly dejected, the girl kept insisting. "Stop being so rude! Why aren't you talking to me when I talk to you?" They both stopped abrupty in the hall and Soul muttered something under his breath.

"Can't you tell when someone's trying to ignore you?" He growled like a feral animal.

"Why would you do that? I don't even know you."

"Does it matter when you're just like every one else?"

"I don't know what you're - "

"Dunno if you're too stupid to take a hint or just trying to be annoying, but just 'cause we're stuck together on a project doesn't mean we're buddies," he said.

Maka frowned. "What's the matter with you? Why are you so angry all the time?"

"Hmph. You won't care even if you knew. There's no point in telling you." Soul's pace sped up as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"Wait! We've - " His black jacket was sucked in with the crowd, and the mysterious boy disappeared.

Maka gave a disappointed sigh. How could she possibly do a project with a person like him?

At the end of the day, she spotted him at his locker. "Hey! We still have some things to discuss!"

He bit his lip, his back still turned away from her. "I thought I told you - "

"I know what you told me. And I know you don't want anything to do with me, but we need to do good on this project or else we'll fail," she said in a serious tone.

"As if I'd actually listen to you," he shrugged. "I wouldn't care less if I passed or failed."

"Look, I'm not asking to be friends with you, I don't care if we ignore each other for the rest of our lives, or if we never talk again, but I just need you to bare with me, just till the end of next week, okay? Besides, I don't bite." Her words stung his wounds like salt.

"Can't say the same for me," he grumbled.

"Come on, Soul. I just need you to cooperate during the project. I won't talk to you about anything else, I promise. If you don't like me, then fine." He turned to face her with a burning ember gaze. "But just...please."

He sighed and shut his eyes. "So stupid..." he muttered. "Fine."

"We're partners now, okay? Just for the next two weeks," Maka said.

"Just for the next two weeks," he confirmed.

"Yup. Then you can never speak to me again." With that, Maka turned and left. Soul bit his lip, piercing the soft skin with his sharp row of shark teeth. Two weeks was short. Two weeks he wouldn't be as lonely as he used to be. He stared back into the empty space of his locker. _Why can't I be honest for once?_ he thought.

* * *

It's been almost two weeks now. Their deadline is a day away. Then after that, she'd never talk to him again. She hadn't kept her promise over the last two weeks about not talking, in fact, she had done quite the opposite. She discovered many new things about her reluctant new "friend." How he rode solo for most of his life, how the town treated him like dirt, how he was put in an orphanage for most of his childhood. She sympathized with him. She smiled at him.

Soul thought he was in over his head. He wasn't supposed to like her or talk to her. But there was something about her, you see, that made him cave in almost every time. She had this strange cute and naive allure to her. Soul pretended not to notice.

"Are you ready for today?" She asked as she placed a large stack of paper in front of him. "We finally got it done."

Soul mulled over the possibilities and sat up in his chair. "Whatever." He didn't want to bring up what happened yesterday.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You know what today is, right? It's the last day of us being partners. Remember?"

Soul went back to sulking in his seat. "I know, Maka."

"Shouldn't you be glad," she let out a sad laugh. "I mean, you've been waiting a whole two weeks for this."

He didn't have time to respond before the second morning bell rang.

After the last bell had rung and everyone left the class, he walked out as usual. But Maka didn't follow behind him like she usually didn't. Soul paused in front of his locker. "So...I guess this is goodbye for now?" She asked, standing behind him.

He turned around and fumbled with his books. "I guess it must be."

"Yeah," Maka smiled softly, averting her gentle green eyes to the floor. "I had fun, though. It was nice meeting someone like you. You were the first person I've ever had in this town."

"Whatever," he shrugged, his guilty eyes aiming for the same space of floor hers were.

"I hope we get a good grade," she finished and faced the opposite way slowly. "Bye then."

"Wait!" He stopped her with an extended arm. "I...I don't want you to leave just yet."

"What are you talking about? I thought you hated having me around. I thought you hated _me_," she said.

"I never said...I mean, I didn't mean it like that," he said.

"Soul, what are you trying to say?" She asked.

"I just don't want you to leave me. Just stay with me, okay?"

"For how long this time? How long do you want to be partners this time?"

Soul almost laughed at her cluelessness. Partners? "Not as partners. As f...friends..."

Maka's face lit up like a newly replaced light bulb. "R-really? You actually wanna be friends?"

He immediately reverted back. "No, I mean like before, when you used to follow me around with that stupid smile and talked to me all the time. Like that."

"Soul..." she giggled. "That's the same thing as a friend!"

"But we weren't actually friends," he insisted.

"Well, we are now, aren't we?" She held out a hand and offered an innocent grin. "Let's be friends, okay?"

He shook it. It was the first time that Soul Eater Evans had a friend. "Friends."

* * *

**A/N: Yay, I finally updated this story. Blame my writers block, not me. **

**Amber**


	3. Can she break his nightmares?

Soul flicked open his cellphone wearily and let the dull blue light shine in his pale face. 4:30 am, he read. He sat up in his bed in his lonely apartment and stared past the drawn curtains to his window and into the darkened night. He had just woke up from a recurring nightmare that had been haunting him since last week, before Maka decided to be his friend:

He was always sitting in the orphanage bathroom, huddled in a corner. He was a little boy. The stalls were vacant. It was nearly pitch black, except for the slight gloomy glow that filtered in through one of the higher windows. It was also cold, freezing cold. He was wearing nothing but a ripped white t-shirt with a small gash in the area above his chest. He reached up and felt a sharp, piercing feeling in his heart. Like there was an iceberg where a warm pulse should be. He'd be sitting there for what felt like hours, like he was being punished and he had to sit in the corner, until the door from across the room flew open and a broad-shouldered husky shadow of a man appeared in the doorway. He'd yell some inaudible things and step towards him. Soul was scared and couldn't move his body or open his mouth. He didn't know what was happening, except that perhaps his punishment was almost over and the man had been sent to retrieve him.

Suddenly, the man grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the room. He cringed at the light. Outside of the room, it was white as snow and even more freezing. He wondered why the man wasn't cold like he was, even though he was wearing nothing but the suits that the caretakers of his orphanage would, a grey jumpsuit that had made him feel like the children were being imprisoned more than being taken cared for. He mouthed something to him and Soul failed to understand.

Then, he was thrown into the empty blank space in front of him and he landed face-first on a hard, asphalt surface. He didn't know how he got there. When he opened his eyes, a small crowd of older boys surrounded him with wide, menacing grins. They kicked him, punched him, and jabbed him until he was coughing up blood. They yelled taunts and jeered at him. Soul remembered this part of his life when he was back at the orphanage. They always used to do this to him. When he thought he'd faint from the pain and fear, he shut his eyes and imagined them gone. He tried to think happier thoughts.

He still couldn't move or fight back enough to defend himself. The rips in his shirt grew more torn and dirtier. Then, the scene would change, and he would be cold and lonely once again. The kicking and beating stopped. It was dark again, and he couldn't tell where he was. All he could feel his pain, all around his body. He felt around with his fingers and felt warm liquid all around his body. It was blood. Blood, leaking out of the countless cuts on him, on his legs, on his arms and back and stomach. They weren't big cuts, but they were deep enough to sting every ounce of his body. He wanted to cry out in pain, but no sound came out. From the side where his heart was, red liquid pulsated from it like a faucet that couldn't be shut off. The pouring blood wouldn't stop from his wounds, and eventually new cuts would form on his wrists, legs, arms, and back, until he started to lose consciousness. In his mind, he begged silently for it to stop, for someone to end it. No one came. He would lie there, drowning in his own blood, until his body faded and everything was numb.

When the dream was over and his eyes shot open and he calmed his racing pulse, Soul wondered why he would dream of such a thing. The color returned to his face and there would be no more imaginary blood spurting from every angle from his skin. Perhaps his childhood memories were trying to make him remember what experiences he had. Soul closed his cellphone and set it down on the nightstand to the side of him after contemplating on whether to call her or not. Not like she could help him, anyways.

But why? Hadn't he left his past life behind him already? Those memories and fragments were supposed to be in the back of his mind, and they were supposed to stay there. He locked them there years ago, along with his heart. Soul pulled the covers over his chest as a chilly shiver ran down his spine. He tried to close his eyes and fall back asleep, but every time he did, his mind began to drift back into the same nightmare. So he forced himself to open them and stay awake. It was unusual for him to go through this. It was so uncool to have bad dreams.

Even with a kind friend by his side, he still felt strangely empty, like something was missing in his life.

He found himself reaching for the phone again. The thought of him being frightened over something as trivial as a scary dream disgusted him, but he still waited patiently as the other line rang and no one answered. He called again.

* * *

The shill ring of her cellphone rung again and woke her from the haze. Startled, Maka grabbed her phone that was vibrating against her nightstand and fumbled with it in her hand. "Why is Soul calling so late?" She wondered aloud and picked it up. "Hello...?" Her groggy voice answered.

"Maka?" He asked, his voice quivering slightly.

"Yeah...why are you calling?" She asked sleepily. He told her about the dream. "You had a nightmare...?" He answered with silence. "Are you...scared?"

"I'm not scared!" He said defensively and she frowned. "I mean...can't sleep, so I decided to call you."

"Well," she began. "I think you're having recurring nightmares something about that event was so disturbing to you that you can't seen to let it go. Maybe what happened at the orphanage was so traumatizing to you that you won't be able to forget it, and it'll keep bothering you until you do something about it."

"What should I do? See a shrink or something?" He muttered cynically. "It's not like I can get rid of that part of my life..."

"When I was younger and I used to have bad dreams and used to wake up in the middle of the night, Mama told me to close my eyes and count to ten, and while I do that I think of the happiest memory I had. It worked after that," she suggested. "They went away, and those bad thoughts were replaced by happier ones."

"And what if I don't _have_ a happiest memory?"

"I dunno. Imagine a happy one, or something that makes you feel better." Soul searched his mind for something and came up blank. "Well, it's okay if it takes some time to figure it out, I guess. But just remember to think of something positive. And even if it doesn't work at first, try again, okay?"

"...Okay, Maka. Thanks. Bye."

"Goodnight, Soul." There was a click on the other line, and then silence.

* * *

"Good morning, Soul!" A cheery Maka trotted over to his locker.

He grumbled a response and closed the locker, revealing his hooded face.

"Did it work? Did you have the nightmare again?" She asked. He shrugged remembered the image that came to his mind as he had begun his countdown. 10. All he saw was a bright white light that bathed him in happiness. It was so warm. He let the feeling wash over him and cleanse him.

"Yeah, it did. Thanks." 9. He heard a small voice, feminine and bubbly, call his name.

"That's great to hear! I'm glad it worked." 8. Through the light, a silhouette appeared and beckoned towards him. The voice was clearer than before. He knew this voice well. He wasn't in a dark place anymore.

"Yeah, whatever." 7. Her outline starts to form and her hand reached out to welcome him. She smiled at him.

"What did you dream about?" 6. Soul reached out towards her to grasp her gentle hand, and their fingers interlocked. The touch was so different than when those boys were kicking him while he lay on the ground.

"Nothing that you'd know about." 5. She called his name again, and he followed after her and walked with her as she led him. He was happy about her being with him. It was so different than when he was alone. He no longer felt the cold, unfriendly hardness of the bathroom floor.

"Aww, why don't you wanna tell me? Was it a memory?" 4. The girl's form was nearly complete in the light. Her pigtails flowed in the breeze and she hugged her jacket closer with her other free hand as they both walked down the sidewalk together, hand in hand. There was no man who loomed over him threateningly.

"It's private. It wasn't a memory, though." 3. The girl's eyes gleamed in the light as their environment started to form around them. There were rows of houses. It was his neighborhood. It was also seemingly fall, and the leaves on each passing tree had begun to turn a hue of red and orange and yellow. Leaves blew past their shoes and flew around with the wind in swirls. The autumn sun shone down on them with a soft glow. He was imagining walking with her on a calm evening. He felt something strange rise in his chest, like a heavy burden was melting away and all his feelings of hatred and sorrow were dissipating into the air. His heart began to rhythmically thump in his chest where there had been nothing but a frozen lump.

"Okay, Soul, I get it. You don't have to be so pushy all the time," she huffed and walked off to class. 2. He liked the feeling of her at his side. Even though it was not a memory and it had never happened.

When she was out of earshot, he sighed. 1. The girl finally came into full view, and her eyes glimmering and her perky cheeks smiling. He recognized her. Maka pulled him closer and embraced him, her face resting behind the crook of his neck, her warm gaze filling the void in his chest. He wasn't alone anymore.

On that night, he had slept soundly without any hint of a nightmare.

Soul finished recounting the dream and whispered to himself. "_You_ are my happiest memory."

* * *

**A/N: I'M BACK FINALLY AFTER MIDTERMS AND I GET TO UPDATE YES!**

**A bit of a short chapter, I kinda came up with this one a few hours ago. **

**~Amber**


	4. Can she teach him how to comfort?

He thinks he's slightly awkward.

Or at least, that's what she calls him when she laughs at his strangeness and as aloofness all the time. He never laughed with her, not once. Usually when they'd meet and hang out while walking down the sidewalk of the school street. She usually dominated the conversations, while he kept quiet and listened. Even after coaxing some words out of him once in a while, Maka eventually discovered that he preferred to listen, not talk. She thinks he's cute that way, like one of those boys who kindly listen to anyone's problems ot concerns without giving a care.

Soul didn't mind listening to the sweet sound of her voice. It offered some kind of comfort in his arguably dreary life. He's never had anything of his own to speak of, especially since most of his thoughts weren't the happiest ones. Instead, he'd wonder about Maka's life, about how she roamed around in her concrete jungled called New York City, how her father and her and her mother all used to live in a comfy little apartment with, how she thought she'd live with them happily ever after until reality slapped her across the cheek and her mother abrupty left the both of them after finding out that her father couldn't help himself to other women.

Soul's story could do worse than that.

He learned that he was a careful listener. She'd tell him things and he's remember them; her favorite color was blue, her favorite food was spaghetti, she likes the rain, especially when she gets home and makes herself comfortable, she jams to this unknown bad named "Trancefusion," and she likes to turn her pillow over to the cool side periodically every night when her face gets too hot.

With every new fact about his new friend, he felt like he was learning more and more about life through hers. They were baby steps, but they were still progress. But what happens when his learning process decides to take a sudden leap into something else, something out of his realm of comfort? Something that would force him to leave his safe little not-physically-existent bubble and make him do something absolutely absurd? He wouldn't know what to do. He never even expected for a time to come like that.

Except, about a month into their friendship on one normal night, Maka gave him an unexpected call. He had been surfing through the channels on his TV, when his phone started to vibrate against the hard wood surface of his side table. He reached over and swept it off the table and cradled it in his hand. "Maka?" He asked.

Her staticky voice sniffled on the other line, and he knew immediately that something was wrong. "Soul...? Are you at home right now?" Her tone was filled with restrained sadness.

"Yeah. What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked.

"Um..." She was interrupted by a weak sob and another sniffle. "Can we meet at the pizza restaurant? Down the street from where I live? I know it's not open, but...I just wanna talk. Just for a little while."

"Okay. Meet you there." He slapped the phone down on the table, slipped on his shoes and hoodie, and ran out the door.

* * *

The cold February air slapped him on the cheeks as he sprinted past darkened houses and empty streets. He ran past a street only lit by the bright illumination of a stoplight stuck at red. Down the block, he could spot the faint glint of a neon sign that hung on the window pane of the pizza shop, and his pace got faster. Right next to the sign, sitting sullenly on the bench stationed right outside the door with her head hung low and her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap, was Maka. She lifted her head as his footsteps neared. Her perky cheeks that always smiled were sodden with tears and with frustration as her face was lit up by the sign's pale light.

Soul heaved in breaths and came to a stop in front of her. "What...happened...are you...alright..." he managed.

She rubbed a tear that slinked down from the side of her eye. "Soul..." She stopped herself when she couldn't stop the droplets from falling, and choked out a pathetic snivel. "I'm s-sorry..."

He collapsed on the bench next to her. "No, it's okay," he reassured her. "What happened?"

"It's...my mother. She's still in New York and she just called my father to tell him that she's been diagnosed with leukemia..."

"H-how is she right now?" He was taken aback.

"She's fine right now...but she's been in the hospital since this morning..." she murmured, wiping a lone tear off her chin. "The doctors aren't sure how serious it is yet until the test results come back..."

"Why are you telling me this?" He tried not to sound like he didn't want to hear, but he was curious.

"I don't know...I just need someone to talk to..." She mustered. "Papa doesn't know what to do, either. He says we might have to go back to be with her..."

"You might...move?" He asked, disappointed.

She nodded and cleared the water off her eyes and giving a shaky sigh. "I don't know what we're gonna do...I hope she's okay, though," she muttered.

Soul peered down in his lap. He didn't know what to say; this was one of those situations where his awkwardness prevailed over him. How would he comfort a girl when he's never even talked to one like this before? He's seen these scenes before on the shows he's watched, and maybe before in a book or two, but never in real life. What did they do for the girl? He racked his brain to remember. "I think it'll be okay," were the words he could think of. _Stupid! How could I say that when I have no idea what's gonna happen?_ He searched deep in the crevices of his mind. What did they do?

"Thanks, Soul...I want to believe that, too," she smiled weakly.

Did they hug or something? Was that it?

"I mean, if your mother is as strong as you are, then she'll make it for sure," he said. _Nice save, idiot._

She sniffed. "Yeah, I guess so."

No, it was something deeper. Did they touch? Yes, they did.

"Are you thinking of going back to New York?"

"Yeah, I have to. She won't get better if she doesn't have her family. I have to be there for her because I love her," she continued, her mood improving slightly.

"Yeah...that's right..." He was stuck on the word 'love.'

He fiddled with his sleeves in their moment of silence. Then, he decided to so the unexpected, to break free of his comfort zone. He grabbed the unsuspecting Maka and hugged her, hugged her tight, against his black sweatshirt. "Soul..." She relaxed and hugged him back slowly.

Is this what they do? He could've sworn this was the right thing to do. She was so warm in the middle of his chest. It must be right.

He remained silent, resting his head on her shoulders just as he did in his dreams, inhaling the distant scent of vanilla carried by the light breeze from her hair. "Do you feel better now?" He asked unsurely. She nodded.

"Yes, I do," she said calmly. "Thanks."

He was gladdened with her happy response, relieved that he had actually done something, _him_, Soul Eater Evans. They let go and Maka gazed at him with puffy eyes and a slightly stuffy nose, a mixture of disbelief and contentment tinting her sea green eyes. She placed her hands around his shoulder, not knowing what would happen next.

But he knew what would. He decided that he would no longer live by the boundaries of his tortured mind.

He stared hard at her until she was slightly confused at what he was doing. "Soul - "

He'd seen it before in the shows on television hundreds of times. But once again, it was nothing like the shows portrayed. Nothing ever is. When he reached behind her neck to bring her closer to his face, it wasn't as smooth as he'd wished it to be, like those suave handsome actors who knew how to kiss and girl whenever he needed to. Because when his lips landed on hers, it was so much better than watching it happen behind the glass screen.

He felt her hands slide from his shoulders to the back of his neck while he gently caressed her cheeks, their lips parting and coming together, again and again. It was so not like the movies. It was heaven. He came back for more, for more of those soft pair of unforgettable lips that mushed against his own, until the world slid away to the back of his mind and all he could think about was her. He hoped she thought the same about him. Finally, when their feelings were satisfied, his hands loosened behind her neck and he let go.

He let go and inhaled a sharp breath and she did the same. Fresh from their daze of romance, Maka sat there in disbelief again, wondering in her hazy mind about what had just happened. Her surroundings became surreal.

Soul dragged himself from his speechlessness and tried to regain his strength. It seemed like the both of them were stunned where they sat, completely still, completely at a loss for words. He finally broke away and mustered up some words in his brain. "Maka," he said as a feeling of bravery consumed him. "Do you...feel better now?"

She paused, her sadness completely wiped away and replaced by utter shock. She laughed and he didn't know why. "Idiot! Why'd you do something like that...so out of place..." She nailed him on the shoulder and her cringed at the pain.

"But you said you didn't know what to do, so I did something instead," he said. "Besides...I think I...I think I like you. That's what people do when they like each other, right?"

She punched him again and he yelped. "Th-that's not was I was getting at! I mean, I like you too, but that's not the comfort I think I needed..."

"Then what is it?" He asked, slightly flustered and embarrassed that he went though all that trouble just to kiss a girl. "What was wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" She stammered. "But...I liked it..."

He didn't answer.

"But...it's not the time right now..." she murmured. "I mean, my situation and all. I might have to leave here. My mother is in trouble."

He hung his head and bit his lip. _So uncool..._

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around his neck tightly. "Thanks anyways, though..." She said, and she meant it. "I think I like you, too."

* * *

**A/N: Late update again! I got so caught up in Stockholm Syndrome that I failed to write for this one again...Sorry about that! I hoped you like my overwhelming fluff, though...**

**Also, did you think that this kiss was too soon or too rushed? Leave a review please!**

**~Amber**


	5. Can he learn to deal with a loss?

**A/N: Sowwy for the extra long wait for this chappie, so here's a really long one just for you patient readers. **

* * *

He watched her leave. He watched her and walked besides her as she lugged her baggage across the gravel of the parking lot of the airport with her father. She kept her dulled gaze downwards, fearing that she would look up into his ruby gaze and find disappointment or sadness. She couldn't bear to see it.

They waited quietly at the terminal with each other, both refusing to speak, fearing that they would start a conversation that they wouldn't be able to finish. It was like there was a thin line between them, and if one pulled the wrong way or tugged slightly it would sever. They held the fragile little string very carefully. He guessed a wordless exchange would suffice for a farewell. But she grew uncomfortable with the perpetual silence and decided to break it, "I'm not gonna be gone forever, Soul."

"I'd hope not," he replied, his clouded eyes focused on the ground as people stepped all around it.

"What are you gonna do now?"

"I'm not too sure anymore. Everything's gonna be back to the way it was before you came, isn't it?" He answered solemnly.

"You're right..."

"So now what, Maka?" He asked. "What about us? What will we do now?"

"I don't know anymore," she answered sadly. "I don't know what will happen, but I don't want it to stop. I don't want to let go of it, but I have to make a choice."

He nodded. "I'm not asking you to choose. Your mother is more important right now, so we have to let go one way or another."

Frustrated tears threatened to spill over in her eyes. "I know! But..." she sighed and resided in her chair. Suddenly, she shot back up. "But that doesn't mean the distance has to keep us apart! She ripped out something from inside her coat pocket and flipped it open. It was her cellphone. "We can still use this, can't we?"

He slipped his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah."

"We can call each other everyday. I can talk to you and tell you about everything," she said with a small smile. "I'll call you every night that I'm gone, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise." She made him a pinky promise, just in case. A sudden bell rang, and her flight to New York was called. Maka and her father rose while Soul sat on the bench and watched them gather their luggage. "It's time to go," she said solemnly.

He finally found the strength to rise off the chair. "I'm...I'm gonna miss you..." She seemed to pause to absorb his words, and deciding what to do with them, she set down her luggage and came up to him. She hugged him tightly while he stood completely still in her arms. He sighed and decided to squeeze her back.

"I'll miss you too, Soul," she whispered in his ear tenderly. Then, she regathered her bags and dragged them to the gate with her father guiding her with his arm over her shoulder to the long line behind the gate. She glanced back one last time with those shining forest green eyes. He lost sight of her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Promise!" He heard her distance voice shout over the mass of people.

The line disappeared into the gate and the doors closed behind them, and he knew that she was already on the plane. "Promise."

* * *

The first night he picked up, he heard the same voice he had always heard for the past few months. _"Soul? Are you there? Can you hear me?" _It asked.

"Yeah, I'm listening."

_"Oh, thank goodness! I've got so much to tell you, Soul! It's about my mom. We went straight to the hospital after we landed."_

"How is she?" He asked, twiddling with his fingers under the dull blue glow of the cellphone light.

_"She saw us both and she was happy to have us with her. The doctor said she was in stable condition, but it'll take some time for the treatment. But she's doing well. I told her all about you! She said you sounded like a nice young boy. She said she wanted to meet you as soon as she got better."_

"R-really? That quick..?"

"_Yup! Mama's a nice person, even when she's sick. So what have you been up to?"_

"The usual. School and everything. Alone," he said flatly.

Her happiness seemed to dampen at the sound of his slightly bitter voice. "_O-Oh...I see...well, I hope you are doing well..."_ They were silent for a moment. _"I miss you, Soul."_

"I miss you too."

He heard her light laugh on the other line. "_Sorry, my father is calling me for dinner. I'll call you tomorrow!"_

He set his phone down. How long would he be able to keep up his facade of coolness before it would finally break?

The second night he was hesitant to pick up the call, but he did.

_"Hey, Soul! I just got great news! My mother is gonna be okay in just a few weeks!" _Were the first words he heard from her.

"That's good."

"_Isn't it? It means that she's gonna be alright...I'm so glad..." _

"That's great news, Maka," he answered, trying to sound sincere.

"_How are you doing, Soul?"_

"Same as always."

_"That's good to hear! Now that my Mama's gonna be better, I might be able to come back! Isn't that great news?"_

He perked up his head. "Yeah, that is."

_"I have a feeling that I'll see you soon. So just wait for me, okay Soul?"_

"You bet."

_"I gotta go now, same time tomorrow?"_

"Of course."

_"Bye!"_

It was getting harder for him, increasingly so.

After a full week of repetitive conversations, he found it impossible to reach for the vibrating phone. Because every time he heard her sweet voice on the other side of the county it reminded him of how far away she was, and the thought killed him. She left a message:

_"Hello, Soul? Are you there? Why can't you pick up? Maybe you're busy. I'll call you tomorrow again, okay? Or you can call me instead."_

He didn't call or answer the next day, too. She left another message.

_"Soul? Are you okay? I'm starting to get worried...did something happen to you? Just remember that if anything did, I'll always listen to you. I'm always here, even though I'm not. Remember what I told you one day? 'Friends are like stars; even though you can't always see them, you always know that they're there for you, watching over you.' Yeah, I know, I got that quote off of some website, but it still means a lot. So just remember, if something's bothering you, just gimme a call. Bye."_

The phone rang helpless across his desk the next day, and once again he just stared at it blankly. Each message she left was getting more and more desperate:

_"Hey, are you mad at me? For leaving? Well...I can understand it...if my best friend just upped and left like that, I'd be pretty mad too. I'm sorry, Soul. If you're mad, I can understand your anger. But just remember that I'd never be mad at you. I'm sorry for all the things I'm putting you through. I didn't want to tell you this sooner, but Mama is all better now...and...and she wants me to stay here in New York with her and Papa. She said that she might be at risk of another relapse, so...I...I'm sorry, I'm just so sorry, Soul."_

She didn't call the next day. Or the next day after, and the next day after that. He was beginning to feel that she'd given up on him, just as he'd given up on her.

But finally, on one night, a loud ringing on his desk broke the torturous silence.

_"I'm not so sure if you got my last message, but I really need you to listen to me now more than ever. I'm not quite sure why you're not picking up, but I have a feeling that you're upset with me. I'm sorry for leaving, Soul. I'm sorry for leaving you so fast like that. Because I know you needed me as much as Mama did. I can't quite wrap my head around everything you've been through in your life, and I'm not sure how to remedy it, either...but all I know is that you need me now. And I left you in your time of need. I don't know if I can ever make it up to you, or if you'd ever forgive me for leaving you, but please, just pick up the phone. I want to talk to you."_ There was silence as his hand hovered over the phone. _"...Soul? Soul - ACK!" _She cried out in pain and he nearly jumped off the bed. "_H-Help!" _There was a loud bang and her panicked voice was too much for him.

"M-Maka?! Are you alright?! Answer me!" He yelled into the phone, holding it tenaciously to his ear.

Silence at first_. "...So, that's what it takes to get you to pick up," _she giggled, and a wave of relief washed over him and calmed him down.

He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "I heard your messages, all of them..."

_"Why didn't you pick up all this time? Were you that mad at me?"_ Her tone became serious.

"I wasn't mad," he answered.

_"Then what was it? Soul...you know you're not the only one who's sad from leaving..."_ she trailed off sadly. Then, the thought finally hit him. She had suffered just as much as he was. Every time he didn't pick up that phone, every time he refused to answer it hurt her just as much as it was hurting him. _"Tell me already. What's wrong?"_

"Nothing's wrong."

_"Then why didn't you pick up?"_

"I...I couldn't stand hearing you voice..." he mumbled.

_"What do you mean? Do you...not like me anymore...?"_

"N-No! That's not it. I just...I can't handle having a conversation with you knowing that you're so far away," he confessed. "I really, really miss you."

_"I miss you, too! But...not picking up on purpose...you broke the promise..."_

"I know, and I'm sorry for that. But...I can't stand it anymore, Maka. I want you here with me, right now. I _need_ you. I don't want you...I don't want you to leave me!" He hated himself for sounding like a complete sissy.

_"...I know. So that's why I've made my decision with my parents."_

"I don't want to hold you back from your parents either."

_"Exactly. So, I've convinced my parents to move back there to our house."_

"W-What?"

She giggled. _"I'm coming back, Soul. I told them that I had someone who __needed me."_

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it, the end of this chapter. So, a little recap:**

**-Maka leaves**

**-Soul was depressed and refuses to pick up phone calls**

**-Maka tricked him to pick up by pretending to get hurt**

**-Soul won't be alone anymore**

**So...I'm having a bit of trouble deciding how to end this story...Any ideas?**

**~Amber**


	6. Can she teach him how to overcome?

He found himself standing idly around at the same airport he watched her leave from just a month ago. But this time, instead of sadness he felt happiness, and an unexplainable warmth filling the hollow cavity of his chest. He watched from his seat and gazed at the terminal carefully, and he can't stop a smirk from tugging at his lips. Another bell goes by, and people filed out of the gate with their luggages dragged from behind. Another crowd goes by. Another minute passed.

He tapped his foot to the sound of the music in his headphones. Soul closed his eyes, letting the steady beat and rhythm soothe his taut nerves. A sudden shadow seeing behind his eyelids made him look up, and the first sight he saw were a pair of bright forest-green eyes and a wide smile on her pale white face.

He removed his earbuds and stood up slowly, incredulously, at the girl in front of him. "Sorry I'm late," she grinned with a childish blush. Behind her was the disapproving look of her father and the pleasant demeanor of her mother. Maka reached for an innocent hug, and he was able to once again catch the scent of her light cinnamon and vanilla, feel her soft tufts of ash-blonde hair press against his chin, and caress her warmth in the pit of his chest. "I missed you!"

He nodded distantly. "I missed you, too."

He wanted to rewind. He wanted to rewind his life to the day when he first met her, wanted to undo the wrong things he said to her, wanted her to take back the slap he'd received from her, wanted to engage in conversations that he would usually choose to stay quiet in, wanted to kiss her for longer than he had when he had gotten that one chance. "You ready to go?" She asked, hauling her luggage behind her while her parents kept a watchful eye over their daughter.

"Definitely," he grinned.

* * *

From then on, life resumed to normal.

She attended school everyday, continued with her classes, continued seeing the same Soul every single day. He never seemed to change, and she never ceased to smile. But no matter what, in the back of her mind she had always planned to help him ever since she came back from New York. After doing some research at the hospital, she consulted a psychologist and discovered that the cure to a haunting past was to revisit the fear and get over it that way.

Even though Soul had no idea of her sneaky plot, he shrugged and complied.

One day after school, she took him on a bus and didn't even tell him where they were headed. He looked a bit agitated, with his hood draped over his head, casting a shadow on his face in the sunlight through the bus windows. Maka held a little brochure on psychiatry and read it meticulously while she swayed gently back and forth. Soul his head back and rested it on the glass pane behind him while the blonde girl sitting next to him quietly read. There was not much people on the bus anyways. "So what's this about, Maka? We're we going?" He asked.

Her eyes were still trained on the paper. "You'll see when we get there in a few hours."

"A few hours? You said it was gonna be a quick trip and back," he grumbled and squeezed his eyes shut as soon as sunlight assaulted his vision.

"It will be a quick trip, I promise. I'll even buy you lunch tomorrow, okay?" she reasoned.

He snorted, and she assumed he was reluctantly coming. The bus made no stops and was a one-way trip to their destination, and she knew it would be quite a while before they arrived. They made no attempts to start a conversation, which was odd for her because she was usually the most cheerful of the both and would not hesitate to open her mouth. But she held it all in, instead choosing to channel her energy through her reading, although the pages of her little booklet was running out of new material to cover.

As the dull first two hours of their ride dragged slowly, and the sun saluted them a good-bye right over the horizon, she felt his elbow rubbing against hers and turned to him. He had fallen asleep and was already snoring softly away with the back of his head pressed against the window and his hood shielding his eyes away from the diminishing sunset. Only one more hour to go, and, unbeknownst to Soul, they had already crossed the state border into Nevada.

She waved a hand over his face and saw no reaction. Then, she slipped her cellphone from her pocket and searched through her contacts urgently. She finally spotted the one she was looking for and called it. An ancient-sounding woman picked up from the other line. "How may I help you today?"

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to make a call to the DWMA Orphanage..."

* * *

He was having a nice dream for the first time in a while, until he was rudely awakened with a petite hand shaking his cheeks. "Just five more minutes..." he mumbled, trying to steal some more sleeping while Maka lightly smacked his face and shook him alive again.

"Soul! We're here!" she told him, and he let out a loud yawn and rubbed the drool leaking out from the side of his mouth with the sleeve of his grey sweatshirt. "C'mon, the bus driver's waiting for us to leave." He finally opened his eyes and he saw the white lights of the bus ceiling blaring in his eyes. Outside was pitch black, except for some street lights that dotted the pavement orange down the street.

"Where are we?" He asked groggily.

"You'll see in a moment," she nodded and held out a hand for him to grab. She helped him rise out of the seat, and Soul twisted his neck to get a bothersome crick out.

"You make me go on a three-hour long bus ride and you don't even tell me where we are?" he grumbled impatiently, then let out another prolonged yawn.

"That's because it's supposed to be a surprise," Maka said, mildly irritated. "Now close your eyes."

He scowled at her and she met it with an upset glare. "Why?" He quirked an annoyed eyebrow. He hated surprises.

"Because I said so, and it wouldn't be a surprise if you saw what it was," she said and he shrugged, submitting to her wish. "I'll lead you out, okay?" He felt the warmth of her fingers intertwine with his as she slowly tugged him towards the entrance. Maka thanked the bus driver and told him to wait for a little while. "Be careful, there are stairs here." With his eyes still loosely closed, he took one step after another, down the steep set of bus stairs, until the bottom of his shoes hit pavement. "Now, open them."

Soul nonchalantly opened his eyes. At first sight, it seemed like nothing special; just an old-looking building that stretched down to one block, a few stories high, and worn-down red bricks that looked pale in the orange of the streetlights. "What's this, Maka? I don't get it."

"Look closer," she told him, ushering to a faded sign made of wood to her left. He squinted to make out the dilapidated letters: D M A Or phan ge

"The DWMA Orphanage..." he trailed off, his scarlet gaze going wide. "How did you know I came here?"

"You told me once, remember?" she answered casually.

"I still don't get it. You took me all the way back here just so I could visit this place?" He asked cynically.

"No, I took you back here so you could get over your fears of this place, so you could get over your constant anger," she informed him.

"I'm not scared of this damn place!" He shouted a bit louder than he wanted his words to be. She was unfazed, though.

"Then why are you shaking?" She lowered her voice and took his hand, which was trembling uncontrollably, beads of sweat forming on the side of his face and forehead. He paused to gather up his wits. "Look Soul, I made a promise to help you, and this is the way how."

"So I can remember all the _happy_ times I had here? No thanks," he started to make his way back into the bus until he felt her hand tugging him backwards.

"Soul!" Her voice was surprisingly stern. "You're never gonna get over your feelings if you don't overcome this now."

With his back still turned to her and her fingers still wrapped around his, he glanced back at her and saw her concerned olive eyes and a pout. "...Fine, I'll go."

Her gaze softened. "Okay. We can stay as long as we need to."

The building was empty, seemingly abandoned. Maka told him that she was informed that it would be torn down ever since its closure, which was one year after Soul had left. Artwork of children and oil paints and crayon drawings still hung limply from red string across window panes and discarded toys and dolls were splayed out on the dusty wooden floors. It was chilly, even with his sweatshirt. The front door creaked open, revealing a large flight of stairs right in front of the entrance. To the opposite sides of that staircase were the dinning hall and shower rooms. Upstairs were all of the children's rooms, where they slept for the night. Right next to the banister of the stairs was a door, which was the room for the caretakers and the lead caretaker.

Soul was the first to wander in, staring up at the blackened ceiling of the ancient building, glancing down at the floors, his eyes distant. Memories flooded his vision, images of children working and running past him, flashes of men in white suits grabbing children by their arms and legs and hair and dragging them to their designated rooms. He held his hand to his stomach, where the memory of a boy who towered over him had just punched him.

"Are you alright? You look a bit pale," Maka's voice broke in gently, shaking him free of a memory of a boy stuffing him in one of the bathroom stalls and keeping him there for a long time. Soul sighed.

"So uncool," he muttered, and took a step towards the stairs without responding to her question. The floorboard creaked with every step they took, echoing eerily across the empty and dark halls. "Let's go upstairs for a sec." Maka followed unsteadily after him, twitching at every creak and rustle she heard all around them, while Soul dawdled up the stairs slowly to absorb everything that he passed. He swiped the dust off the banister and his hand was dirtied with blurry grey. "My room was upstairs," he said quietly. Soul planted his foot under a board and it crunched under his weight. He heard Maka let out a swift squeal from the reverberating noise, and he couldn't help but muster a smirk. "You're scared?"

"I'm not scared, just startled," she huffed, pulling her sleeves to the palms of her hands.

"Alright," he said doubtfully and continued upwards. All the way at the top, the stairs separated and lined the opposite of the hallways, one on the right and one on the left, both of which led up to closed doors. Soul went on the right side and cautiously placed a hand on the dust-covered golden doorknob.

The door creaked open with ease, and behind it was more darkness. Soul turned his head and blindly reached for the wall and found the light switch. Upon flipping it, only a few lights that lined the ceiling illuminated, shrouding some stretch of the hallway in dimness. Along the opposite side of the hall were doors, all with room numbers on them. Soul turned to the left without hesitation, and Maka's eyes darted around nervously.

A door behind them opened suddenly. She gave a little jump and scurried behind him, peeking over his shoulder. "Who's there?" Soul asked, slightly unnerved.

The door opened wider, a pair of footsteps could he heard emanating from the room. An elderly woman's head poked out from the door frame. "I think it's only right for me to ask you two the same thing," she said with a stern voice, and stepped into the hallway. She was a frail old woman with a bland blue dress and slippers. "What are you two doing here? The orphanage has been closed down and it's scheduled for demolition."

"We're just here to look around," said Maka, heading back from behind Soul's body.

"For what? This building is just a pile of rotting wood," she said plainly.

"Not to me it ain't," Soul muttered loud enough for it to catch her ears.

"Why is that, young man?"

"I came here a few years ago. Soul Eater Evans."

"Ah, yes," she said. "I've never worked here, but I've been put in charge of seeing that this building is destroyed. The government shut it down because of the horrid conditions in which the children were being raised in. I suppose they were a bit too late to intervene with you, weren't they?" Soul averted his eyes down. "I won't say a word as long as you don't stay too long, okay?" Maka nodded, and the woman made her way back down the stairs.

"You okay?" She asked, lightly tapping the top of his shoulder.

"I'm fine. The sooner we get there the better."

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"My old room. Room 11."

Soul took a long glance at every other door they passed almost longingly, as if he wanted to return to those times way back when and change every moment. When the room labeled "11" with a large golden plate came into sight, he stopped at the door. "It should've been named 'Hell,'" he muttered to himself while Maka was behind him.

The door gave in with ease to his push. Inside, the two beds were stripped of their mattresses and covers, and the desks were old and abandoned and plain. Soul rested his hand on the cold metal of the bed frame and glanced around. Maka waited quietly. His eyelids slid shut and there was silence.

_"Hey, are you ready to come outta there yet? Have you learned your lesson?"_

"Soul?" Maka's voice rung out in his head, but he chose to ignore it while the image of a man in a white suit looking down at him consumed his mind.

_He couldn't breathe, nor could he move in the darkness. "Hey?! Are you ready to come out yet?!" A gruff voice barked at him, but he only crawled in further. "Don't make me drag you out!" Soul could see the soles of his black shoes walking about the floor, right next to his face. He still couldn't move after being forcibly crammed under his bed by his burly roommate, squished beneath the mattresses while the bully sprang up and down on it, pushing him to the ground harder. "Come here, you shitty little brat!" A large hand reached down into the space and grabbed his collar and yanked really hard. _

_His arms were jammed underneath his body from the small space, so he couldn't fight back against his grip. He would rather be smushed up against a cold, hard floor than feel a large over-sized fist beat into the sides of his face. But he was getting dragged closer and closer towards the slit of light, all while his tormenting roommate stood to the side and laughed and taunted, "He's gonna get ya! Loser!"_

_Soul squirmed some more and freed a hand, and he held on for dear life to the grating of the bottom of the mattress above him. "If you don't come out now, then I'll lift the whole fucking bed and beat the crap outta you!" The supposed 'caretaker' screamed at him, his fingers tightening around his shirt. _

_"Please, don't..." the little boy squeaked quietly, clawing at the wire mesh until his hand burned. The man gave up with his shirt and tugged at his ankle. "No!" Harsh light hit is eyes as he had finally lost his grip and was dragged out from under the bed. Knuckles whacked the bottom of his cheek, silencing him. _

_The man smirked. "Stupid kid." Soul crawled back to his bed and looked up at the man, biting back tears with the sharp of his teeth digging into the flesh of his lips. "Don't make me come back here again, or else I'll hit harder than that. Got it?" He nodded, tentatively reaching up to his cheek to feel his newly-earned bruise_.

"Are you okay?!" A hand shook his shoulder, and he woke from his trance. "You were like that for a while. You were worrying me, Soul." He looked to his left and saw Maka's concerned emerald eyes shining through the dark.

"Y-Yeah, I'm sorry. Just nostalgia," he told her to reassure her. "So what am I supposed to do to let go of everything here?"

"He advised me to tell you that you somehow need to release your fears by making yourself comfortable with the past,"she informed him. "But...I'm not so sure it'll be easy with the atmosphere in here..."

"Maybe if I try hard enough," he shrugged, and closed his eyes once more. There was noting but silence around them. He tried harder, just to find a hint of happiness, only to be bombarded by torturous ones. "I can't."

"Just relax then. I'm sure it's because you have a lot of hidden anger at this place. Just let it go, let it slip away into the past because it's not important anymore," she said in a calm voice.

"But how can I do that? I can't help that this place is a part of me; it formed who I am right now. How could I fix that?" He said bitterly.

"If you can't do that, then accept it instead. Don't try to change it. Realize that it's who you are and you can't do anything but take it and move on, Soul," she urged gently.

"Why would I accept such a horrible part of my life? It ain't that easy."

"You have no other choice but that, or else you'll be stuck wandering around with fears for the rest of your life," she said, her voice was firm and unwavering.

He surrendered to her words and reduced to silence. The bar of the bed that he was gripped was warm now. He tried hard, dug deeper. Still nothing but distasteful memories of pain. "I can't..." he muttered. The night air was chilly, despite his grey sweatshirt. Soul took his hand away from the metal and stashed it in his pocket. How could he possibly just let every memory, every ounce of pain pass away like nothing? It would always be apart of him, tugging, eating away at him, torturing from behind the scenes.

Maka gave a gloomy sigh. "C'mon, Soul. We didn't come all this way just so you could turn back."

"Well, what are you expecting me to do, Maka? I don't even know what I'm supposed to look for!" He said. "There's no source of happiness, there's no way I'll accept this shithole as a part of me. I can't just sweep all those memories under the carpet and be done with it!"

In the darkness, there was pure silence, more quiet than the building itself. He couldn't see Maka's expression, but he could feel her disappointment radiating two feet away from him. "Okay..." she said quietly. "I promised that I would help you, though..."

The desire to turn away from her in failure surged within him. "Sorry." A hand reached out blindly to caress his.

"Please, Soul. You're never gonna get over our past if you don't accept it. You'll never get better! And I won't be able to keep that promise!" Her voice raised and her hand squeezed tighter. "Just try a bit harder, that's all."

He found his eyes closing once more, not out of sadness but out of determination. He knew that trying to rid himself of his past life was not possible. He knew his bruises could heal but they couldn't protect him. But he knew he could either choose to let his anger go or keep it and let it fester until it destroyed him. His suffering and hardship wasn't for nothing; it only formed him, gave him who he is now, and he could finally recognized who he was.

He was the lonely boy at the orphanage, beaten and bruised until everyone decided there was no hope for him, until she taught him how to love again.

* * *

The bus ride back was peaceful, with her head rested gently on his shoulder while she slept, and he gazed out into the black sky that was diluted with numerous stars. Her slowed breaths weren't heard over the roar of the engine, but Soul could feel her pulse thrumming against his chest as she rested on him.

Tonight, he couldn't help but feel that a large burden had been lifted off his chest and mind, and he could finally relax. Without second thought, he let the rocking of the bus lull his eyes shut. He rested his chin on her head softly. But before sleep could sweep his consciousness away, he managed a whisper:

"Thanks," he murmured to her. "You kept your promise to me after all."

* * *

**A/N: Took me a while to get my crap together for this story, but here it is! I'm kind of sad to say that Melt is going to end soon, and I've decided to stop my pathetic attempt to fluff everything up now. **

**~Amber**


	7. Can he learn to hold on?

**Please read this before continuing.**

**As you know, once a person is diagnosed with ALS, they are supposedly safe for at least a few more years. However, this was sadly not the case not Mr. Coleman, the kind-hearted, energetic, always happy teacher that this story is dedicated to. He passed away on 5/23/2013 in the hospital, with his mother sitting next to him on his death bed. So, in honor of this great teacher and wonderful human being I have decided to try to make this an extra-special chapter. **

**RIP Mr. Coleman**

**5/23/13**

**You will be missed.**

* * *

"Say it with me, Soul," she chastised jokingly, mouthing the word slowly and articulately so he can understand it. "Luh..."

"Luh," he repeated, letting the syllable slide lazily off his tongue.

"Uhh."

"Uhh."

"Vuh. Love," she finished, giggling as Soul chuckled and poked her shoulder.

"Loovvv-uh," he drawled, flopping backwards and landing on the cushiony pillow of grass beneath him. "Is stupid."

She chuckled. "It's not!" She shielded her eyes from the bright sun overhead.

"Don't tell me you're into sappy love crap, Maka," he muttered, lodging his hands against the back of his head.

"It's not that, I'm just keen when it comes to people's feelings," she huffed. "Love is a sensitive feeling. Especially to girls."

"You're hopeless, Maka," he let a contented sigh and closed his eyes.

"Pfft," she huffed, puffing her cheeks out. A moment of silence wafted by. Suddenly, the brightness that infiltrated his eyelids was blocked by a shadow. Maka loomed over him, gazing down with those curiously large jade eyes. "Hopeless enough for this," she smiled.

He smirked. "Never said I didn't like it."

She smiled and lifted his head gently, resting it on the center of her lap with a soft giggle. "I suspected that, Soul." He grinned, closing his eyes once more while she gently fondled with the tips of his spiky white hair.

"I would've never guessed," he replied. He felt her fingers fiddle with the thin locks of his hair, massaging his scalp. They toyed through tussled strands, slowly inching their way down to the top his neck and rested there. He opened his eyes slowly to see those large green eyes set down at him once more. She leaned down and grazed her lips over the side of his mouth, barely skimming the top of his skin.

He lifted his head slightly and tilted so that the groove of his lips slid into hers, feeling her lips press against his own. He found his hands inevitably reaching up, settling on the back of her neck. He twisted his body and propped himself up from the ground so he faced her. Their lips lost touchdown for a moment so he could suck in a sharp breath, and he kissed her again. A smile tugged at the side of her occupied lips as his hands settled on the sides of her neck, drawing her lips nearer. He tried to mask his own smirk, but it proved futile.

This was the lonely boy at the orphanage, beaten and bruised until everyone decided there was no hope for him, until she had taught him how to love again.

He was the sullen boy Soul Eater, who was notorious in his small town as the one who would never talk to anyone nor look at them, who never bothered to attend school activities and would instead sulk back to his house, who was rumored to be spawn of the devil since he had glaring red eyes and pointed teeth that were probably used to hunt down and devour small animals during his nightly hunt, and who hid his face under the shadow of his black hoodie.

But he was also the boy who had fallen in love with Maka Albarn, perky and innocently naive new girl in town, plucked from her usual cityscape, that girl with bright emeralds for eyes and girlish ash-blonde pigtails. He liked being with her. Even if she could comprehend 'love' more then he, he could still learn from her, even if he was healed already. He blissfully pursed his mouth against hers for a few more untainted moments, feeling her breath skim across his cheeks, and then he drew back.

She looked up at him in silent surprise. Although the words refused to be forced from the deep of his throat, his silent gaze had exchanged the message that needed to be said. He rested his forehead on hers, the tips of their noses touching gently.

_I love you, Maka._

* * *

She carefully creaked the door to her home shut and attempted to tip-toe up the stairs and to her room. Her father was sitting in the living room across the staircase, eyeing a newspaper. She prayed he wouldn't find her sneaking back up to her room after coming home later in the afternoon, and hoped that he didn't suspect her hanging out with Soul. Her mother was getting a weekly check-up at the hospital, so she wasn't worried about her. However, her father hated the boy, not only for his sketchy looks beneath his hoodie, but also because of the perpetual sneer on his face. Only when Soul was around her was his look completely faded, as if he put on a new one that didn't look like his alter ego 'Soul Eater' at all.

"How come you're late for lunch?" She cringed upon hearing the cross voice of her red-headed father.

"I had school work to finish," she said plainly, leaning over the first set of steps urgently. "I went over to a friend's house to finish it."

"Don't tell me you were actually with that Soul boy that I always see hanging around you. You know how your mother and I feel about you being around him." His tone was stiff.

"I wasn't with Soul, Papa. I was with Liz," she lied. She was a terrible liar.

"Is that so? Then why did Liz tell me you went off with Evans right after school?" he asked, and her words made her stiffen.

"I..." She searched for words to say but found that her mind was blank.

"Maka, what kind of relationship will we have when you can't even tell me the truth!" her father sighed, cradling his forehead in his hands.

"I wouldn't have to lie if you didn't limit the type of people I could see!" she countered.

"I'm only concerned for your well-being! That boy doesn't look like a good influence, nor does he look like a good person!"

"You don't understand him, Papa! He's not like that! He just needs help!"

"Maka, I don't have to understand him. All I have to do is glance at the boy and know he's troublesome," Spirit said.

"How can you say that when you don't even know him well enough! Soul...Soul cares about me! He's a sweet person, once you get to know him! Even if he's a bit odd, he's still my friend!" she insisted, flinging her hands up in frustration.

"That boy will bring nothing but trouble! He doesn't even have any proper friends, according to you. What could he possibly offer to you?"

"He's my _friend_! He _needs_ me!"

"That boy's been living on his own for longer than we've been here - "

"If I leave him, he'll..." She trailed off, shuddering at the thought. He'd become hopeless and lost. He'll delve back into his nightmares. He'll face his past again. What would happen to him when she was gone?

"He doesn't need you," her father stated coolly.

"He does!" she shouted. "You don't understand, he needs me more than you think...he's lonely. He's been lonely for most of his live and for the first time - "

"Maka, I won't let you see him anymore." The words pierced through her mind and sent a wave of shock throughout her body. Her hands balled up into tight fists.

"What do you mean?" she asked emptily.

"I forbid you from seeing that boy again. It's for your own good."

She froze, tears welling up in her eyes, and grit her teeth. It was the worse feeling. "You can't do this!" She swung around and flung open the door, running out on to the sidewalk. Spirit ran to the doorframe, but it was too late. His daughter had already disappeared around the corner, leaving a trail of invisible tears behind her.

"Maka, come back!" His words were lost in the distance.

* * *

The albino boy was resting on his couch when the doorbell rang.

He sighed impatiently and rose, hearing the doorbell ring again, insistently. The door swung open. Maka stood in front of him, eyes puffy and reddened, cheeks stained with dried tears, hands fiddling with her damp sleeves in front of her. She gazed downward. "Maka, what happened?"

She didn't answer. She looked as if she were on the brink of crying again. Instead, she ran into his chest, wrapping her arms around the square of his back. He was surprised. He hugged her back. "My father said we can't be together," she murmured into his shoulder as she nestled her chin against his shoulder blade, wetting the side of his neck with water from her tear ducts.

"What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered. She unwrapped her arms and stepped back to face him, stifling sniffles.

"He thinks you're bad. So he banned me from seeing you," she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeves again.

Soul felt his shoulders stiffen. "Why would he do that? I haven't done anything to convince him I'm a bad guy, did I?"

"I don't know, Soul. He's..." she sniffled. "He's just an asshole like that."

Soul sighed, pulling back the spikes of his white hair with a stressed hand. "What are you gonna do?"

"Of course I'm not gonna listen to him!" she huffed.

"So what's he gonna do?"

"I don't know the answer to that, either. All I know is that I'm not gonna let him separate us, okay?" she said, mustering a smile.

Soul grinned softly. "I'm glad. C'mon. You're welcome to stay here if you need." He stepped aside and allowed her to come inside.

He made her the same tea that she had drank during her first visit - jasmine tea. "Thank you," she murmured as he placed it down carefully in front of her and sat down next to her on the couch. She looked exactly like the first day she had visited his house - red puffy eyes, cheeks pinked, sniveling, involuntarily tugging at the end of the sleeves of her jacket. He settled on the other half of his couch, combing absent-mindedly through his white hair that frizzed right back up.

"Hey," his sudden word shook her from her daze, and she glanced up from her tea. "You're always welcome to come here, if you want. If...you know, your old man gives you trouble," he murmured quietly, enough for her to smile softly.

"Thank you," she answered, taking a sip of jasmine, feeling the warmth soothe her throat. "But I don't even know what's going to happen after this. My Mama is gonna come back from hospital, and I'm not gonna be there...and then I'll make her worry."

He frowned. "But then that father of yours will..." He stopped himself, realizing that her mother needed her more than he did, and that keeping her would be just selfish of him.

"Yeah...I know..." she trailed off, her eyes saddening. "But I don't want her to worry...it won't help her get better."

His frown deepened, and he shifted his body closer to hers. "I understand."

"I'll have to go back there," she finished. She imitated Soul's movement and scooted closer to him, so that their shoulders were touching. "But I'm not gonna change my mind about it."

"Maka, you're - "

"Because, what Papa doesn't know is that I love you," she said plainly, obliviously, unaware of the weight of her words. He felt her lean her head against his cheek, her eyes were closed.

He smirked, wrinkling his nose. He knew he was sure that he had told her the same, earlier today, with the exception of the use of words. He responded by simply lowering his face and tipping her chin towards her face. He gently set his lips on her forehead, and then wrapped his arms around her petite back and hugged her close and into his chest. He could feel her settling into his bosom, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. "I wish..." he began with a soft chuckle, his chin set atop her head.

"What?" she asked, breath skimming his neck.

"I wish we could get outta this shitty town," he finished. "Go live somewhere else. Me and you."

She giggled and entertained the thought. "Where would we go?"

"Dunno. Somewhere quiet. People don't care who you are, you can just disappear into the background like normal people?" he muttered, kissing the side of her head, catching a whiff of her floral shampoo in his nostrils.

"That would be nice. But we can't just ditch everything and leave. Even though Papa might not be the most agreeable person out there, I still love him and Mama." He nodded solemnly.

"Of course. I don't blame you. Your folks are good people," he said.

"Why can't they realize you're good, too?" she wondered aloud.

There was a knock at the door, a loud, obnoxious sound that tore them away from their tender moment. They exchanged unsure glances, and then Soul rose and pulled away from her clasp. She had the urge to follow him, like something sinister was behind that door that he couldn't stop. "Open up, Soul Eater." A familiar voice struck her. It was her father's. Pain blossomed in the middle of her chest, replacing Soul's feeling of warmth.

She tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. "Soul, I'll open it," she told him calmly. He nodded and allowed her to turn the knob. Upon swinging it open slightly, she caught a glimpse of her red-headed father looking stern and upset.

"Maka, get in the car now," Spirit said sourly. "Where's that Soul boy?" he asked, growling and scowling. With the door only open ajar, Soul was out of sight from him.

"He doesn't need to talk to you, Papa. I'm leaving, okay?" she uttered disdainfully at her father.

"No, you wait in the car while I do this, Maka," he said sternly. "Let's go."

"I said no!" her harsh words made him stop.

"Maka..." Soul reached out gently to tap her shoulder. "It's okay." He offered a reassuring maroon gaze and a small smirk.

"Smart boy," Spirit said. "Now go to the car. I need a stern discussion with him."

"Goodbye, Soul," she said sadly. Maka gave Soul and hopeless look, and then shot a glare at her father while she trotted down the steps and swung open the car door, slamming it awfully hard. Spirit winced at the sound.

Soul came into the doorframe, looking up, unfazed at the red-haired man who glared down at him. "I'm sure Maka's told you of what I said to her."

"Yeah, and I don't see a reason why you'd wanna keep us apart," he said bitterly. "So why now?"

"Listen, Eater. I'm trying to be a nice guy here. I've heard the rumors about you. And they're not good ones. To be sure, I'm just trying to protect my daughter from any bad influences," he began sternly.

"Sir, with all due respect, what have I done to Maka that you find offensive?" Soul asked in a near-mocking tone.

"You hang around her...like some delinquent. I may not know you well, but I know you're gonna taint my dear Maka. I can't let that happen," he spat. "From now on, I don't wanna see you around her. At all." Soul stared him down. "Or else."

Soul forced back a smirk. "No offense, sir." Spirit raised an eyebrow. "But Maka and I are classmates. We see each other everyday."

"Yes, I can't stop you two there. However, I will now be giving her a ride home. You won't be seeing her after school anymore. And, from now on, she'll be in contact with me over cellphone. So if she's off with you I'll be able to tell," he finished. "So don't concern yourself over her anymore. Maka's gonna be at my side from now on." He turned to leave. "And don't get anymore ideas. I hope you understand why you have to be away from her."

Soul watched as he drove off with Maka in the back seat. Before he drove away, Maka glanced at him from the backseat window and pressed her hand against the pane longingly. He gave her a reassuring gaze, and she smiled as the car lurched forward and away. For some reason, he had no reason to worry.

After all, he was the lonely boy from the orphanage who had fallen in love with her, and she was the perky girl from the city who had fallen in love with him.


	8. Can she teach him how to change?

**A/N: I know, I know, Amber's really really late with this chapter. I give you all permission to punch me in the face and guts but for now, please enjoy this new chapter that I've procrastinated so long with~**

* * *

Just as Soul had expected, that red-haired father of hers was waiting at the front door, brows furrowed and foot tapping against the white-tiled floor with his arms crossed. His eyebrows furrowed deeper as his gaze lowered to their intertwined hands as they walked down the hallway together towards their lockers. Soul had seen what 'angry' had truly been during his time spent at the orphanage, so he could tell that Spirit was the definition of what he'd seen in his past life. And it near terrified him, if it wasn't for Maka standing next to him and the many students criss-crossing around them, scrambling to get somewhere or to their lockers.

He felt Maka's hand fall a step behind him. He stopped to turn to her, only to spot the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look in her eyes. She seemed alarmed at her father's presence. She rounded the nearest corner with Soul lagging behind her and leaned up against the nearest locker, sighing deeply when she did. "What're we gonna do?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"You heard my Papa. We can't go home together anymore," she said bitterly. "But...it doesn't mean that we can't be together."

She mustered a saddened smile. "Hey, we've made it together this far, so why not now?" he shrugged.

She giggled. "See you around then?"

He nodded. "Yup."

He watched as she rounded the corner, feeling slightly lonely that he'd have to make the trek home by himself for the first time in months.

* * *

Maka's eyes concentrated on the window pane of her father's car, too angry to look in his eyes, too upset to talk to him without the fear of bursting into a rant. Her father kept a steady gaze on the road in front of him as he drove, silent. He bit his lip, thinking about how upset his own daughter was about him.

Of course, being the 'good' father he'd always wished to be, he didn't want to disappoint her daughter and so he never questioned her tastes. However, when it came to boys, he chose to be picky. Mostly because he knew what monsters boys were capable of being. When he heard that his daughter had been hanging out with the notorious Soul Eater Evans, he nearly lost his head. He had heard stories of him from the townsfolk, horrible rumors about him. One said that he killed his family in cold blood and then moved to this town to get away from his crime. Another claimed that he's a demon from the pits of hell who had come to reap souls for the devil himself. One of Maka's classmates had also said that he hides a row of shark-like teeth that he uses to tear the flesh from wild animals.

He knew that all these rumors weren't true, but how could he be so sure about his daughter dating someone who was perceived to be a maniac, even if he wasn't actually one? Surely, the boy had given the townsfolk reasons to believe these superficial and shallow rumors. And so, with every passing day of him hanging out with his daughter and walking alongside her and spending more time with her, he grew more suspicious. He didn't want his precious daughter to fall victim to a boy with the name 'Soul Eater.' He feared for her, that something bad might happen to her while she lets her guard down. After all, who was he to dismiss such rumors when he never even knew him personally? And, after taking a good, hard look at the boy, he decided that he didn't _want_ to know him. However, he feared that his daughter might know more of him than he wants to think of...

He cleared his throat. "Y'know, Maka. I'm only doing this because I love you," he began in a calm voice, hoping not to upset her further.

Maka scoffed. "If you loved me, then you'd try to understand him for my sake."

He bit his lips. She argued just like her mother; quick, curt, to-the-point. "Well...as a father, I feel that it's just better to stay away from the boy. You don't know what he's thinking, Maka."

"What do you mean?" she growled. "Soul would never hurt me. He's a good person! And I know he doesn't look like the type of person to be one, but I've known him long enough to tell."

"Some people are just not what they seem," he answered.

"I know, but Soul is different than just 'people,' Papa!" Maka retorted. She quieted down. "Why can't you understand?"

"Maka, I understand completely. I'm only concerned for your wellbeing. From what I've heard, this Soul Eater boy isn't good news," he reasoned. But knowing Maka, once her mind was set on things you couldn't pry her away from it even if you tried your hardest to.

"What gives you the right to say that?"

"I don't. But I know how I feel about him, and I don't feel right about him."

"You've told me this already, Papa. I'm not changing my mind about him," she finished firmly.

"I'm trying to do what's best for you!" he answered angrily. "I don't want my daughter near this...this freak!"

He stopped himself after seeing the horrified look in his daughter's eyes. "Soul is not a freak! He's just...it just takes some time to get him!"

"I don't need to _get_ him, especially from what other people believe!"

"Oh, so you're gonna believe them over me?"

"Look, I'm just trying to protect you!"

"Soul would never try to hurt me!"

"You don't know that."

"Papa, I've been with him for months and you haven't even said anything! Why _now_, of all times?!"

The red-haired man sighed, eyes still glued to the road. "I've been lenient with you and him lately. The reason why I didn't restrict you then was because I thought you and him were nearly school partners. But then you started to take it further. You even went on that little trip without telling me and your mother with him!"

"That was for him, not for me!" she defended. "Soul needed that trip! I needed to help him!"

"Help him with what, Maka? He's a grown boy, he doesn't need your help."

"Soul had a horrible childhood, and you won't even let me heal him!"

"A boy with a troubled childhood makes it even worse."

"No, that's not what I was trying to say!" She gave a frustrated sigh. "Soul...Soul's...he's been lonely his whole entire life. No one's ever come to his rescue when he needed it the most. I'm here to save him!"

"Just because this boy has problems, doesn't mean they're also yours."

"Why do you hate him so much?!"

Spirit clenched the wheel hard, the undersides of his hands turning pale. They were already nearing their house; it was a block away. "...I don't want you to end up like me and your mother."

She finally swiveled her head towards him. "What?"

"I don't want you to get hurt from what a boy does to you. You know what I mean...your mother is an earnest person who works hard. I couldn't see that until I screwed it up. I don't want you to become depressed over a boy who would hurt you or who end up breaking your heart. Truthfully...I don't believe that Evans is a bad kid. I do believe what you say about him being a good person. However...even the best of men fall short sometimes, even when the woman tries the hardest to make things perfect. That man is me." Their house was now in sight, coming from the right side. "Even if you claim that Soul won't hurt you, you're never so sure are you? He may not physically hurt you, but that's not the only way."

"You're implying that he'd betray me? Soul's not that kind of person!"

"Your mother thought that too."

He pulled up against the curb, lurching slowly to a stop.

"So the reason why you're denying me of my happiness is because you couldn't fix _yours_?!" she demanded, slamming the car door shut forcefully behind her. Her father exited out of his side, trotting to catch up to her.

"Maka - !"

"No! Leave me alone!"

With an outstretched hand that called for her back, Spirit frowned. He had only made things worse for his daughter while on a mission to defend her. He meant well, even if he wasn't the best of fathers. He trudged towards the front door, which had been whipped open by Maka. By the time he reached the front steps he could see her running up the stairs in an angry huff. He walked through the empty doorframe and saw his wife sitting casually at the dinning room table and reading a hard-cover book. Her blond hair graced the top of her shoulders and soft olive-green eyes roved around the page. "I see that your conversation with her was successful, Spirit," she said with disappointment, eyes still aimed at the page.

Her father sighed. "I tried, but she likes him very much."

Kami chuckled. "Who are we to interfere with her love?"

"Hey, you were the one who was worried about him too!" he countered in a childish manner.

"Yes, I was. But if Maka is so in love with Soul that she refuses to let go of him, then maybe we should stop," she suggested. Spirit opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off by more of her words. "I don't see any reason to question our daughter's taste in men, since, after all, she has a very good example to learn to stay from," she said bitterly, and Spirit froze. He acknowledged that the 'example' that his wife was referring to was himself, being that he was a cheating bastard even through marriage. "I don't think convincing her otherwise is a good idea. She's set on him and that's who she's decided on. Even though I would agree with you in that Mr. Evans is a strange boy."

"But, Kami!" he whined. "You heard all of the horrible things that people say about him!"

"Yes, but Maka doesn't seem to think he's bad like they do. She's been with him for months and not anything has happened to her."

Spirit grumbled to himself, residing in the chair across from his wife. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Kami's eyes finally stray from her book and onto her weary husband. "Why don't you let them be together and accept it?"

Spirit sunk further into his chair. He sighed. "I see no reason to try anymore since she's so hellbent on staying with him. I've done everything from waiting for her at the end of the day and driving her to school for the past week, and she's still holding onto him. In fact, I think they've been clinging to each other even more every since I tried to separate them."

Kami sighs louder than his previous one. "Just let it go already, Spirit. You know our daughter well enough to realize that she's contracted our stubborn gene."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm letting that Soul character off the hook!" he insisted.

"Whatever you say. Just know that it won't change Maka's heart," she finished plainly.

* * *

The next day was no different than the other day, despite her father's softened heart and a more mild understanding of her love for Soul. She refused to look at him the whole car ride to school. He could understand, considering the height of their quarrel from yesterday. Even at breakfast she refused to acknowledged that he had made her food, despite him telling her so. She didn't tell him good morning. She smiled at her mother and kissed her on the cheek, greeting her but not him. Spirit gave a frustrated groan at the wheel. "Maka, I'm sorry for yelling at you. Will you forgive me?" he asked, finally caving in after having being shunned by his own daughter.

"Will you let me be with him?"

"Well, no."

"Then no."

Maka went back to staring hard at the passing scenery and road. Spirit returned back into his state of silence. He could no longer tell who was acting like more of a brat, himself or his daughter. What a father he was.

He finally rounded the corner and headed down the street where her school was. "Have a nice day at school!" he mustered cheerfully as she opened the car door and stepped out.

"Bye," she answered curtly as she slammed it behind her.

As he watched her disappear into the crowd, he could've sworn he saw a flash of white hair chasing after her, and a tan-skinned hand reaching out for her shoulder.

"So what'd your old man say?" Soul asked, keeping a steady pace next to her as Maka strode impatiently towards the front door.

"He still won't let up," she said with a frown. "He think you're bad news. He thinks you're gonna hurt me. He think's your gonna cheat on me. All the same reasons!" she said, frustrated.

Soul frowned. "You know, there's always that backup plan I have."

"And what is that?" she asked.

"Well, if things don't work out here, then we can leave."

They made it into the school building, shouldering kids as they passed by unintentionally. "Leave? You mean run away?"

He followed her to her locker. "Yeah. Remember when I told you about that old apartment my aunt owns? She still has it."

"Where?"

"In California. It's a two-hour drive from here."

"Hm..." Maka entertained the thought. "You know, I can't just up and leave like that. Mama's still sick."

Soul's frown sunk further. "Alright," he answered. "But...can you just consider it? My aunt can support us until we have a proper job, it's in the nice part of the city, and it's not too small. We can make it, Maka. And if you wanna drop by to visit your mom I can drive you back and forth."

Maka sighed. "Move out of this town? Don't you think it sounds kinda...suspicious?"

"Why not? We hate living in this shitty town anyways, right?" he asked. "Why not escape for a while?"

"It sounds tempting..."

The bell rang, interrupting their conversation.

"Just think about it Maka. If your father gets out of hand, we can just leave. We can just be us, all alone, no one will ever give us strange glances when they see us together in the hallway, it'll be awesome, " Soul said. "No one'll bother us anymore."

Maka smiled at the thought of finally escaping the odd looks that she'd usually receive around the school for being the only girl who dared to hang out with Soul Eater. It would be nice to get some peace and quiet. Even if she'd be escaping reality for only a moment.

"Soul, it sound like heaven. But don't you think we can't just leave school? They'd notice it."

"Not if they catch us leaving."

"Hmm..."

"We gotta get to class. Talk about this later?" he asked.

"Okay."

* * *

She pondered about his request while she sat in class, gazing out to the window and allowing her mind drift off into space as the teacher's monotonous voice droned on in the background. Her hand rested on her cheek as she propped both elbows on the desktop, notebook paper blank despite the many chalk-written notes that blanketed the board.

She understood Soul's wish to leave this small town. First, he had no reason to stay. And it was obvious that the neighbors didn't want him here, either. He had nothing to lose. However, she did. She had her family here. And, despite her hanging around Soul, she had made some friends. She had every reason to stay. She liked living in this quaint and close-knit town. She had everything to lose if she left. Except for one reason: Soul himself. Would she be able to risk everything she knows just for his sake?

She frowned. "Um, Miss Albarn?" her teacher's voice rang out in her head. She shook herself from her daze, realizing that the whole class was giving her an odd look as their teacher called on her. "You don't seem to be paying attention today. That's quite unusual."

"O-oh! I'm sorry, I'm just tired," she lied with an embarrassed smile.

"Please pay attention now."

"O-of course I will!"

She snatched the pencil from her desk, tapping against her blank paper in front of her. Even though she started to copy the notes, pencil scribbling furiously against paper, her mind strayed back to Soul. Her eyes darted to the other side of the room to where he sat, right next to the window pane. He had been concentrating on the board, the hood of his black sweatshirt drawn over his head. He caught her gaze, holding it for a moment. His upper lip quirked into a reassuring grin, and then he aimed his garnet eyes back at the board.

Maka smiled softly to herself.

Though, she still wasn't clear on her decision.

* * *

Later that night, as she was all alone in her room working feverishly on her homework while listening to the crickets chirp in the background. It was around 7 in the evening, and her father, after driving her home begrudgingly, and her mother were sitting down in the living room and probably watching tv together. As she wrote down her next answer, her phone started vibrating unexpectedly. She glanced up from her homework, sensing the hum of the vibration against her wood desk and reached for it. Upon flicking it open, she discovered that it was Soul calling her. "Hey, what's up?" she asked.

"Have you decided yet?" he asked on the other line. His voice quivered, as if he was hesitant on asking the question.

"...Well, I dunno, Soul..." she answered, unsure of herself as well.

He remained silent for a beat. "...Do you not wanna go?"

"No! It's just that...I don't feel that running away together would be the right thing to do. I mean, I really want to be together with you. I just want to at least try to convince my father first."

"Didn't we try that already?"

"Yes, but maybe if we keep trying he'll finally give in! Even Mama wants us to be together!"

"And how do you plan on doing that? He doesn't wanna go near me. He doesn't even want anything to do with me. Your old man doesn't look like he'll be giving in anytime soon," Soul said.

"Yeah, but if we can convince him that you're a good person, then maybe he'll finally see that you are," she answered.

"Once again, _how_?" he reiterated, slightly irritated. "It's not like we can change those rumors around. I don't think I can get _anyone_ around here to think I'm good. I'm not, anyways..."

"Then I'll teach you how to convince them!" she said.

Soul gave an audible sigh. "Okay...still don't think it's gonna work. What're you gonna do anyways?"

Maka thought for a moment, tapping her pencil against her unfinished homework. "You're a good person already, I know that for a fact. Now...all we need to change is your image without trying to change your personality."

On the other line, Soul cocked his head. "Whaddya mean?"

"Hold on, I'll be right over! I'll have to sneak out, though..."

"Wait, Maka - !"

She hung up immediately.

* * *

As expected, merely 10 minutes later, there was a loud rapping on his door. Maka stood on his doormat, eyes ignited with determination and excitement. "You never told me what you're gonna do."

"Didn't you hear me?" she asked, disappointed. "We're gonna try to change your image. Like, what you wear on an everyday basis. You look suspicious with all that dark clothing."

"Maka! I don't wanna do that!" he whined, sulking. "And what's wrong with hoodies, they shield you from people's looks!"

She pouted and reached up to cup his cheeks. "C'mon, you want to convince my dad that you're not an ass, right? If you would stop sulking, stop wearing those hoods, and stop glaring at people, then maybe you'll scare them less often!"

Soul brought a firm hand over hers, grasping it lightly as her fingers caressed the top of his chin. "Fine, fine," he raised both hands up with submission.

She grinned. "Okay!" Grabbing his hand to drag him along, she headed off to his bedroom. "I need to check out your wardrobe first!" She sat him down on the bed and swung open his closet door. Soul cringed at the sight of the dusty clothing he hadn't seen in years. With a small giggle, Maka disappeared into the small walk-in closet, emerging with a new pair of jeans, ones that weren't torn and ragged like his were. She threw it at him and it landed in his lap.

"Maka wha - !" Before he could speak, she went back into the closet to rummage around.

"You don't shop much, do you?" he heard her muffled voice through the piled clothes and darkness. She poked her head out in between two shirts hanging from a hangar. "Put those on while I keep looking."

Soul held up his old jeans that he hadn't worn in months. "Maka, do I have - "

"Just do it!" she barked.

One slipped-on pair of jeans later, he slung his worn pair in a corner of the room. He was still wearing his black hoodie and white shirt under it. "Okay, I did it."

"Hold on! I finally found something that would make you look less sloppy for once."

"I am not sloppy - "

She shot out of the closet, dangling a white t-shirt from her hand. "Here!"

She threw it at him and he caught it quickly. He groaned and threw it on the bed and wrapped his arms protectively around his sweatshirt that he valued greatly. "But..."

Maka gave another pout and crossed her arms. "C'mon! I'm risking getting grounded for this!"

Soul grit his teeth while Maka kept a steady glare. "...Fine." He hesitantly started to pull up the ends of his black hoodie, revealing his white undershirt that outlined the firm contours of his abdomen. "Should I take this off, too?"

"Nope." She snatched the shirt from the bed and held it out to him. He took it with a scowl and lifted his arms and let it fall over his chest and pulled it down over the top of his new jeans. Maka leaned over towards his chest to button up the collar and straightened it.

"Oww, don't button it up all the way. You'd choke me," he complained as she reached the top of his shirt.

"Okay fine." She smoothed out some of the wrinkles on his chest and sides with a quick pat and scanned him from the top of his head to the laces of his shoes. She gave herself a self-satisfied nod. "Done. Now...look in the mirror." She took his hand gently and guided him to his bathroom. She flicked open the light and led him inside.

Soul's eyes widened as he caught his own gaze in his reflection of the mirror. He looked...the same. Yet, for some reason without the hoodie, he looked different. He glanced down to observe his clean jeans. They were different, too. All in all, Maka had not made much of a difference in his overall appearance, but he certainly looked more tame now. He wasn't glowering from under a hood. He wasn't a slob with half-ripped jeans. He looked like a preppy nerd ready for a good day in school, with a clean white shirt with a collar tucked neatly against the tops of his collarbone.

Soul grimaced. "I look disgusting," he muttered. "But...at least I'm not as intimidating as before."

"See? I told you if you dressed differently, you'd look different as well." Her eyes searched around the room, spotting a large and wide tube on his sink counter that contained a solid blue gel. While she reached for it, Soul secretly undone two of the buttons on his collar and loosened it. "Is this..."

"My hair gel," he said plainly, involuntarily running one of his hands through his bleach white hair. She shot him an odd look. "What? You didn't think that my hair was naturally spiky, did you?" he scoffed.

"Yeah, but you put too much," she deadpanned. "You look like one of those white-haired troll dolls!" she laughed.

"At least I'm old enough for my hairstyle, _pigtails_," he sneered back, snatching his gel back from her hand as she giggled.

She stifled her giggling as she quirked an eyebrow at him. "Y'know, my mother did my pigtails for me!" she defended.

Soul reached out and twirled on of her pigtails around his finger playfully. "Yeah, when you were _five_," he snorted.

She answered back by poking him on the stomach and he grinned. "Whatever, Soul!" Together they stood there and laughed for a moment before recollecting themselves. Soul smirked so wide his cheeks started to ache. He hadn't laughed in months, and finally got to experience what it felt like. "Just lemme fix it!" She reached up and started to comb down his white spikes, ruffling it down until they were flat.

"Ey, you're doing it wrong!" Soul grinned as he shook his head and blew the bangs from his face, and Maka giggled at the sight of his hair in a frizzy mess.

Once both of them managed to contain their laugher, they both grinned at each other. Pausing to regain their breath, Soul's gaze traveled from her shining emerald eyes to the faint smile the graced her lips. She noticed his staring and gingerly rested a hand on his shoulder, directing his attention back to her eyes and held each other's gaze.

He leaned suddenly in as her hand traveled back up his neck, resting there as their lips, slowly but surely, made contact. Soul and Maka inched towards each other as their lips melded and pushed together. He drew her nearer by holding onto the base of her neck with one hand. She leaned closer towards him. Soul advanced further until her back skimmed against she cold tile wall. They kissed slowly, passionately, each kiss painstakingly long as their tongues entered and explored each other's mouth carefully. Maka's hands crept up his neck and finger clenched against his scalp lightly, feeling soft tufts of white in between each fingers while Soul kept his palms rested against the underside of her warm cheeks -

Suddenly, she broke for air. Soul looked confused as she began to dig around in her pockets for something, finally realizing that there was a small humming sound against her pants. Her cellphone vibrated endlessly as she pulled it out, blue glow calling for her to pick up. A look of horror plastered on her face. "Maka, what is it?" Soul asked, slightly impatient.

"...My parents are calling," she answered breathlessly.

Soul froze. "Do they know you're here?"

"I hope not." She exited the bathroom with Soul following her with a worried expression on his face.

She flicked it open and held it to her ear tentatively. "Hello...?"

"Maka, where are you?!" her father demanded, enraged.

"Calm down, Spirit," her mother's exasperated voice interrupted. "Maka, sweetheart, where are you? We found that your room as empty and we panicked."

Maka hesitated with her answer. "Um...I'm on my way home. I just...ran to the pizza store to grab a slice to ear. I'm heading home right now."

Kami sighed. "Honey, you're a horrible liar."

"I'm telling the truth, Mama," she insisted.

"Alright, let me tell you this right now. I'm going to go into a separate room where your father can't hear us talking and then you can tell me where you _really_ are."

"Promise?" she asked. Soul gave her an odd look.

"Yes, I promise." She could hear faint creaks of footsteps and then a small _thud _in the background. "I'm alone now in the bedroom with the door closed. RIGHT, SPIRIT?" she yelled. Her father's muffled shouts answered back. "So now, where are you right now?"

Maka exchanged a few glances with Soul before Soul gave her a reassuring nod. "I'm at Soul's house."

Her mother's voice remained patient. "And why are you there?"

"Well...I was trying to help Soul with his homework," she lied.

Soul shook his head. '_Really_?' he mouthed.

Kami chuckled. "Ah, I see, I see. You worried your father and I very much."

"If I told you then you wouldn't have let me go," she answered.

"Yes, that's true. Just come home, sweetheart."

Maka sighed. "Alright."

She stuffed the phone back in her pockets as her mother hung up. "Hm, so they found us out already?" he asked.

"Yeah, they did," she said sadly. "But Mama's not mad. I have to go now. And..." She grabbed the hair gel from his sink again. "Promise me you'll wear this outfit and use less of this tomorrow?"

"Maka - " he whined.

"Promise?"

He frowned. "Okay."

"See you around?" she smiled hopefully as she strode towards the door.

"Yeah. But tomorrow you won't be seeing the same person."

"Nope. It'll be the same old you, except you'll be wearing something else," she giggled. "Let's just hope we'll be able to convince everyone else that."


End file.
